In his letter Don states that he has seen leadership emerge in people when
they experience a Significant Traumatic Event - STE. I have also observed
this many times and felt it myself when I was promoted to my first serious
managerial position. Don links the emergence of the leadership patterns
to experience. I think there is more than experience working in these
events.
I think the leadership patterns can emerge from the activation of what C.
Jung labeled "archetypes." Jung thought archetypes were like psychological
"photographs" waiting to be developed in our psyche. They give us the
potential to lead, to mother, to father, to follow our parents, etc. I
haven't read enough Jung to know if he believed there was an explicit
"leadership" archetype. But, many writers in the men's movement are
writing about King, Warrior, Magician, Explorer archetypes. And, I know
that some females are working with the same concepts: "Women Who Run with
the Wolves" by C. Estes.
For the past two years I have been experimenting with
training/education/collaborative learning sessions that focus on
activating leadership archetypes. My clients like the process. I am not
sure where this line will take me, but for now I am exploring it.
-- Charlie Fleetham VNuu10b@prodigy.com